Cycling UK Forum

I've got a couple of rare free days next week and looking for a 4 day tour. Thinking of doing NCN route 2 Exeter to Brighton. I'm guessing this is mainly low traffic roads but would it be really busy this time of the year?

Also would a road bike be ok?

Thanks for any info.

The off-road, coastal bits between Worthing and Brighton (there are many on road sections too) will be busy due to the number of tourists wandering around (assuming sunny weather).
Also I recall that some of the NCN2 through the New Forest is not road bike friendly in any shape or form, but that was a few years back: maybe things are better now?

I rode from Southend (down to Brighton) to Plymouth a few years ago over 3 days and used the NCR2 a bit. Some of the New Forest was off road, I was on a Thorn touring bike so it was OK. It get's very very hilly between Exeter and Weymouth. I live in Cornwall so I'm used to hills but there is one section that drops you down into the valley and then back out again 4 or 5 times without any flat sections and takes a while to get though, that pissed me off.

Here are some pictures from my trip, not too many as I'm not a big photographer. https://imgur.com/a/sHDws

Hi John,

Can't help west of Pompey but I know the stretch between there and the far end at Dover pretty well and have ridden all of it at least twice on my tourer with 32s The worst parts on this stretch are actually East of Brighton so you should be OK. I did a 100 miler from Hastings to Portsmouth a couple of months ago and have written it up so if its of help you can get a feel for that section here: http://www.richmay.co.uk/to-portsmouth/

Cheers

C.O.

The South West is rammed at the moment and that includes the roads

Thx for the replies everyone. I ended up doing a route from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury which put my Genesis Croix through it's paces with some proper gravel trails. As per advice above I'm going to attempt this one later in September.